Kaleidoscope Marketing & Communications Incorporated

Q: How can I make my brochure more effective?

A: Kaleidoscope incorporates a few steps to make your brochure more effective:

Determine what you want the brochure to accomplish; is it educational, promotional or informational?

Keep the copy focused on the benefits to the customer. Keep in mind the WIIFM or What’s In It For Me approach on behalf of the customer

Ensure the copy is clearly written at the level of the reader; many of your customers may not understand industry jargon or may not speak English or French as their first language

Make it visually easy to read, using headlines, breaking copy into sections and using bullets

Make the creative visually appealing so that customers are intrigued by the contents

Ensure your brand is portrayed consistently in the piece, this includes visual “look and feel”, logo treatment and tone

Ending with a clear call to action increases the likelihood that a customer will contact you to learn more

Put the final piece into the hands of your sales team, make it available as a PDF on your Web site and, if appropriate, leave a few in your lobby, in order to touch as many current and potential customers as possible


	Q: What do I need to know when designing for a Direct Mail (DM) campaign? A: Developing creative for direct mail is quite different than just developing a brochure. Kaleidoscope uses the following criteria: Use the 40-40-20 rule to make your DM the most effective it can be: 40% The Audience - Know your audience and make sure your database accurately reflects the profile segment 40% The Offer - Ensure the offer is relevant and the benefits are clearly stated 20% The Creative - ensure it is appealing and within the bounds set by Canada Post


	Q: How do I know when I can take advantage of digital printing for my marketing material? A: Digital printing is particularly effective when the parameters around the production/creative specs require a printed piece that is a low run (fewer than 500 pieces), 4-colour process and non-bleed. There are some limitations you need to be aware of. For example, metallic and Pantone inks are not accurately represented and the colour is often not as saturated as in conventional printing. Digital printing works particularly well for pastel colours or where there is lots of black type.


	Q: I’d prefer to have my production team do this area of the project. How will this work with your team? A: We focus on Client needs first. If that means you would like us to work with your production team - great! We’ll be happy to do that. Our own team offers several years of experience in project management and works equally well within a committee.


	Q: My marketing department has been doing pretty good stuff for us; however, I’d like your firm to do a special project. Is this feasible? A: It certainly is. We would request a meeting with your marketing/studio manager to ensure we are onside with your brand specifications. The key to a good working relationship is in good communications. Kaleidoscope has proprietary communication processes to ensure results.